2017 Dodd Trophy Watch List Released

The Dodd Trophy doesn’t get the national attention that some of the other annual college football awards get. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less prestigious. Given annually to the top coach in the country, there have only been two coaches to win the award twice.

Today, the preseason watch list for the 2017 Dodd Trophy was released.

There are some big names on the list, along with a couple of newcomers and hopefuls. The list was published on the official Dodd Trophy website.

Coach

School

Conference

Paul Chryst

Wisconsin

Big Ten

James Franklin

Penn State

Big Ten

Justin Fuente

Virginia Tech

ACC

Mike Gundy

Oklahoma State

Big 12

Jim Harbaugh

Michigan

Big Ten

Clay Helton

USC

Pac-12

Paul Johnson

Georgia Tech

ACC

Butch Jones

Tennessee

SEC

Gus Malzahn

Auburn

SEC

Jim McElwain

Florida

SEC

Urban Meyer

Ohio State

Big Ten

Ken Niumatalolo

Navy

American

Chris Petersen

Washington

Pac-12

Mark Richt

Miami

ACC

Nick Saban

Alabama

SEC

David Shaw

Stanford

Pac-12

Bill Snyder

Kansas State

Big 12

Dabo Swinney

Clemson

ACC

Kyle Whittingham

Utah

Pac-12

Notably, Ken Niumatlolo is the only name not that doesn’t coach in a Power Five conference. The head coach of Navy has become something of a media darling over the past couple of seasons, leading the Midshipmen to 11 wins, and nine wins since joining the AAC.

Of the major conferences, the Big 12 features the fewest number of coaches on the list. The only coach in the conference making an appearance is longtime Kansas State coach Bill Snyder.

Snyder is currently undergoing treatment for throat cancer, and is one of only two coaches to ever win the award twice.